KNEC introduces questionnaires to guide Grade 9 students in career selection
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
The questionnaires are part of KNEC's ongoing efforts to implement the CBC, which is designed to focus on the holistic development of students.
In a move aimed at guiding students for their future careers, the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has announced the introduction of questionnaires for Grade 9 students.
The initiative, which will be rolled out in 2025, is part of the country's ongoing efforts to enhance Competency-Based Education (CBE).
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KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere on Thursday said that the questionnaires will be used to assess students' interests and personal attributes, helping educators guide them toward the most suitable career tracks as they transition into senior secondary school (SSS).
"Apart from achievement assessments, we will also administer a questionnaire to Grade 9 learners to explore their interests and other personal attributes that will speak to the kind of pathways and tracks that they will pursue in senior school," he said.
The new tool is designed to complement the existing achievement assessments already in place for Grade 9 students.
The goal is to help ensure that students make informed decisions about their future paths, based on their unique skills and preferences, rather than having choices forced upon them.
Njengere also noted that this move is aligned with the broader objective of shaping an education system that is more responsive to the individual strengths, aspirations, and talents of students.
The questionnaires will allow KNEC to better understand the academic preferences and personality traits of each learner, ensuring that they are guided toward career paths that align with their capabilities and ambitions.
The introduction of the questionnaires comes as part of KNEC's ongoing efforts to implement the CBE, which is designed to focus on the holistic development of students.
This curriculum aims to equip learners with both academic knowledge and practical skills to help them thrive in the real world.
The KNEC CEO also addressed concerns surrounding the school-based assessments (SBAs), which have been in place since 2019.
He assured stakeholders that teachers have been conducting these assessments professionally and objectively.
"Since 2019, teachers have been administering these SBAs, and I can assure you that we've been getting a normal curve, which shows that the teachers are very objective and professional," Njengere said.
To ensure that the transition is smooth, KNEC organised a seminar for teachers from 235 schools that participated in the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) pilot programme in 2022. The seminar aimed to familiarise teachers with updated national assessment tools, as well as to incorporate feedback from students, school heads, and other stakeholders.
KNEC's Director of Research and Innovation Anne Ngatia highlighted the significance of the questionnaires.
"This assessment is an essential tool for identifying each learner's potential and guiding them toward a path that suits their interests and skills," she said.
In 2026, the first cohort of students who take the Grade 9 questionnaires will progress to Grade 10, where they will select their career paths based on the information gathered during the assessment process.
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